City Guide : Kuwait

Named after the country, the capital city Kuwait is a lively metropolis with tall buildings, luxury hotels, broad boulevards, and well-tended park and garden sites. The city port hosts petroleum tankers, cargo ships and pleasure vehicles. Kuwait experiences the hottest days of summer during June, July and August in which the temperature reaches 50 degrees C. During the winter, the average temperature is around 10 degrees C.

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Tourist Attractions

The main settlement areas and business districts are in Salmiya and Hawalli, while the important industrial settlements are in Shuwaikh. The As-Seef Palace where the Amir (the head of the state) runs the daily matters of the country is located in the old part of Kuwait City.

The most important edifice of the city is Kuwait towers where you can have lunch or dinner. The Big Mosque is also worth visiting. Liberation Tower is one of the tallest telecommunications buildings in the world. The ones who visit the 150-meter tall tower are greeted by a lovely scene and restaurant.

Stripped of many artifacts during the war, The National Museum has been partly renovated and is now open to the public. Built in 1896, the Seif Palace was quite destroyed during the Iraqi occupation. However, Islamic mosaic tilework can still be observed.Made of coral and gypsum, the Sadu House is a museum where the artifacts of Bedouin people are protected. It is also possible to purchase similar crafts in the Sadu House. Bayt Al-Badr, the mansion of the Al Badr family open to tourists, the Liberation Monument, the Science and Natural History Museum are the prominent places to visit in Kuwait.

Culture & Entertainment

Kuwait is ruled by constitutional monarchy with the Amir being the head of the state. As such, the weekend covers Thursday and Friday in Kuwait. February 25-26, Ramadan Festival and Festival of Sacrifice are public holidays.

Outsiders coming to work in Kuwait constitute the 65 percent of the population. The advances in the petroleum industry appeals to top performing companies. Among the places where the personnel of these companies and local people spend time are Entertainment City, sea clubs, municipality parks and zoos.

Food & Drink

It is possible to find the dishes of Middle Eastern, Asian and Western cuisines in Kuwait city just like the other cities. The excess of foreigners in the country has diversified the restaurant types. Other than Arabian and Kuwaiti dishes, Italian, Indian, Lebanese, Japanese, American and Chinese restaurants are most qualified. Fast food addicts can easily satisfy their appetites. Don’t forget to smoke “shisha” at a café in Kuwait.

Shopping

The largest shopping center in Kuwait is the Marina Mall. Some other Western style malls are Souk Sharq, Al-Kout, Araya Mall, Al-Salhiya Mall and the Avenues. However, prices are quite expensive compared with other cities.

If you want to visit traditional markets and go shopping there, Souk Al Mubarakiya, Souk Al-Juma’a, and Mahameed are perfect alternatives for you.